The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-09-16

Anu passion thrilled my tenuef greeting
Whene'er murmu-ed Miss your faref
But now vainly try to blot her
From out a heart of miseree,
For she was but female spotter-
Sit still, my soul-she spotted me.
Sun and Voice.
ABOUT NATIVE AFRICANS.
Their Superstitions, Polygamy, AIoham-
mechanism and Other Matters.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Sept. Mrs. NJ. II. Gar
net BarboZa, the daughter of President
Garfeld's Liberian minister, is still in
America, and is preparing to lecture a
few times upon the strange things which
concern the native races in Africa be-
fore she returns to Liberia. Many of
the things she tells in her conversations
about the dark continent are full of
strange favor, however, and are well
worth some more pronounced record than
they seem likely to get from merely oral
discourse.
When the little republic of Liberia was
founded it found itself in the midst of the
most degraded savages- They had some
arts and trades, and some idea of life
hereafter, but they were canmbalistic and
warlike and the incoming government
and civilization had to make its peace
with those tribes that were within the
borders Of Liberia by being careful not to
disturb too rudely their old habits and
authority. 1t SO happened, therefore, that
to this day native kings and chiefs exist
with more or less authority within the
very limits of the republic.
These native kings and chiefs, who can
perhaps boast longer regal descent than
some of the white rulers of Europe are
still allotted wide dominion. The chiefs
are subordinate to the kings So that q
king may have many chiefs under him,
but upon each certain duties rest, which
relate to the government of the native
population in the republic. In one respect
the line of succession is much more sensi-
bly, arranged, and is more democratic than
the rule which regulates kingly succession
among civilized Europeans. The kings
have many wives, but it is not the oldest
son of the first wife who is necessarily the
successor in authority. On the contrary,
when king dies his successor is chosen
from his children with certain amount
Of discretion. The child who has the most
commanding ability, or who gives promise
Of being the ablest ruler, is put on the
vacant throne, and in some cases the Salic
law prevails, and a queen succeeds her
father.
AS to the institution Of polygamy In
Africa, it is just about universal. The
missionaries do what they can to root it
out, but the prevailing custom is that O
man, poor or rich, may have Just as many
wives as he can support. In one instance,
where native who had O good many
wives was converted to Christianity, he
sent them all back except the first one to
their respective families, greatly to the
scandal Of his relatives on their side and
to his uneonverted native friends gener-
ally. Indeed, in this case, they punished
his faithlessness to his family obligations
by sentencing him to death when they
found him in position where the civil
lied power was unable to protect him.
This unfortunate individuals name was
Dow-a-dow, and the mode of death allotted
him was by the tying process. AS he had
broken his family ties, he was himself
bound tightly by cords, in q variety of
places SO as to check the circulation of
blood, which process produces very pain
full and lingering death.
The superstitions of the native Africans
are very numerous. They are continually
fearing danger, and they wear amulets
and charms which are supposed to prevent
death, sickness or capture. These, says
Mrs. Barboza, are sometimes made of
tigers and leopards' teeth; but common
and potent charm is made of the white
underskin OF the alligator, ON which GER
tain texts from the Koran are inscribed.
This sort of amulet is often connected with
the most elaborate decoration.
They also wear great deal of silver In
the form Of earrings and ornaments on the
supposition that it prevents their being
poisoned. Poisoning is very much dreaded
by the natives, as the danger from ex-
cessively poisonous plants makes its oc-
currence frequent probability. There
are wild plants in Africa the inhalations
from which may cause death, and others
which, If you rub against them, will prove
often similarly destructive. The natives
say, too, that the silver will tell you if YOU
are poisoned, by turning its color, so that
you can take antidetes against the effects
incurred before it il too late. From GER
tain plants the natives get an effect like
that of ether or chloroform when they wish
to diminish pain or secure sleep. They
have, too, a sassa wood, which is the pro-
duct of beautiful tree, decoction from
which brings out sin, according to their
notion as saffron tea does the measles. It
Is commonly administered by husbands to
their wives to determine whether thev
have done wrong; but the wives, under
stand, are not permitted to turn the tables
and test their husbands by 1t.
Nearly all the moon superstitions con-
cerning the planting of crops and the be-
ginning Of enterprises, which still linger
with civilized people, have their similari-
ties or counterparts In Africa. But the
Africans add to these. For instance,
one that is peculiar to them: They say
when they see watery streak about the
moon that it foretells the death OF some
eminent person.
The reason that when gceat man
dies certain number of slaves or in
ferior persons are killed, Is that he may
have their company on his long journey.
They think there Is future world some
where, but that 1t is great distance Off
Their heaven is place the pecuharity Of
which is that every one can do there that
which he most wished to do on earth, but
which, here, he may have been prevented
from doing.
Not long after Mrs. Barboza's father
died she lost o son by drowning. The
natives told her that 1t was because no
one was killed to go with her father on
his death journey. He could not start
upon 1t alone, they said, and so he lin
gered about. and when. he had good op-
portunity, drew the boy in the water to
go with him. II q person in moderate
station dies u is considered well enough
for him 70 travel to the other world unat-
tended. They bring to his grave, how
ever, certain articles of food and clothing,
and perhaps q few trinkets or utensils
which they Imagine he win need upon the
route.
Mohammedanism Is the prevailing be-
Lief and religion among the natives, but
the superstitions Of which I have been
speaking are the remnants OF q faith
which came to them from their own early
traditions. Neither Christianity nor any
strictly modern faith seems adequate to
uproeting these crude ideas which their
forefathers handed down. J. B.
The Wsges Were Agreeable.
Sidney Smith was always ready to amusean
evening company by cutting paper into curl
Gus figures and by display Of clever tricks,
for all Of which his demand In payment was
kiss from each young lady present. His
%nIfu